Zoom, Zoom, Zoom to the Dolomites via Belluno

Peugeot 407 SW - lovely to drive & very comfortable.

467 EUR for 7 days including full insurance & zero excess. We drove everyday & only needed 50 EUR to fill the tank.

Grabbed it from Marco Polo airport & drove to Belluno (about 1 hour away from Venice towards Dolomites).

We pottered around Belluno town centre for a few hours & headed for hotel Mirella. The hotel was small, quaint & off the beaten track. Ruggero was the owner & was very welcoming. We opened a bottle of Italian white wine & settled into the hammocks in the adjourning park area. Ruggero had closed the restaurant to the public & only served guests which was fantastic. He made up the menu on the spot, whipped out the back & cooked up a feast including fresh pasta.

On leaving the hotel the next morning, Rugerro mentioned he'd had enough of Italy, the immigrants & beaucracy. He's decided to leave Italy for good - he thought somewhere in Asia would be a nice fresh start. We wished him well and headed off.